1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to agricultural automation systems and, more specifically, to a Wireless Subterranean Soil Monitoring System.
2. Description of Related Art
The monitoring of the moisture of soil for the purpose of optimizing the growth of crops has become increasingly important today, particularly in the environment of large, corporate farming operations. There are two common practices associated with the installation of soil moisture probes in the soil. The most prevalent method involves the installation of a soil monitoring probe in the ground once the plant emerges after planting (actually a series of probes to cover an entire planted field). Each probe is then connected to a telemetry system that provides power and receives the measured data from the probe. The telemetry will regularly upload the received data to a central database using cellular or other wireless technology. Typically, the telemetry system is located in close proximity to the probe—somewhere in the actual field of crops. Before the crop is harvested the system (probes and telemetry equipment) is extracted and removed from the field. These annual installation and extraction operations are costly and further only permits the grower to obtain data during a portion of the year (just after planting until just before harvesting).
A less common practice is to install the probe(s) in the soil and then trench the connecting cable to the perimeter of the field (typically about 100 meters away). This will allow the probe to reside in the field continuously for several years, providing data to the grower over the entire year. There are several drawbacks with the trenching method. First, it is a cumbersome and expensive exercise to trench the cable (to each probe). Second, there are several cases where normal field operations will result in one or more of the cables being severed, thereby breaking the connection to the probe.
What is needed is a system and method that permits the probe to reside continuously in the field without the need for expensive trenching, and without the risk of damage to the equipment due to normal field operations. It is believed that a wireless probe transmission system that is buried in close proximity to each probe, is the solution to this problem.